Rail-joint.



PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

A. BONZANO.

RAIL JOINT. APPLICATION I'LLE D FEB. 3, 1906.

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NITED STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

ADOLPHUS BONZANO, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,995, dated May 2,1905.

Application filed February 3, 1905. Serial No. 244,007.

T0 at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADoLPHUs BONZANO, a citizen of the United States,residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

'My invention relates to certain improvements in the rail-joint forwhich Letters Patent were granted to me on the 9th day of February,1897, No. 576,943.

The object of my present invention is to reduce the bearing of the plateupon the ties without materially diminishing the strength of the lowertruss member and at the same time allow for the slotting of the feet ofthe plate, so that the spikes can be driven close to the edges of thebase-flanges of the rail. This object I attain in theffollowing manner,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of one of my improved joint-plates. Fig. 2 is a planview showing the abutting rails coupled by my improved joint-plates.Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig.- 4is a transverse sectional view on the line 4 4, Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is aview of a modification.

B B are the abutting rails, and the joint is made, us usual, ata pointbetween the tiesA A.

D D are the splice-plates, each plate consisting of an upper chord d andalower chord (Z. At each end ofeach plate are feet d which preferablyrest upon the ties A. Web members (Z connect the feet with the lowerchord d. In some instances tie-plates may be used, in which case thefeet d may rest upon the tie-plates; but the feet of my improvedsplice-plates are of such a width that i in most instances tie-platesare unnecessary.

The upper chord (Z is in the form of a fishplate fitting snugly betweenthe head and the base-flange of the rail and preferably conforms to theshape of the base-flange. In the upperchord are the holes for thepassage of the ordinary securing-bolts C.

The lower chord depends from the inclined section of the upper chord,preferably in a vertical line, and the webs in this instance project atright angles to the body of the lower chord.

In my former patent the feet of the jointplates were the full width ofthe webs 6 but in order to reduce the bearing of the feet upon the ties,so that it will not be necessary to specially prepare the ties for thereception of the plates, I reduce the width of the feet in the presentinstance by cutting each foot on an angle from the end of the web (Z tothe line where the upper chord joins the lower chord and then I sloteach foot at f and extend the slot to a point slightly beyond the edgeof the base-flange of the rails, so that spikes can be driven throughthe slots into the ties in such a manner as to bear against the edges ofthe base-flanges of the rails. By this construction I retain the fulladvantage of the bracing of the lower chord by the webs W. In someinstances I form holes 2' in the wide portion of one or both feet forthe reception of spikes when additional fastenings are desired.

When the joint is made from rolled blanks, I preferably roll the platesfull width, then bend the central portion to form the lower chord, andthen cut the feet at the desired angle; but if the joints are made bycasting they can be cast as shown in the drawings.

In some instances instead of beveling the feet, as shown in Fig. 1, theplate may be made as shown in Fig. 5, in which the full width of the webis retained and the main portions of the feet considerably reduced,leaving enough of the foot portion to brace the web and add strength tothe structure.

I claim as my invention- 1. A joint-plate for railway-rails having anupper chord arranged to be secured to the webs of the rails, a lowerchord projecting downwardly beyond the base-flanges of the rails, feeton each end of the plate and webs connecting'the feet with the lowerchord, the feet being greater in width at the webs than at the ends ofthe plate, substantially as described.

2. A joint-plate for railway-rails having an upper chord arranged to besecured to the webs of the rails, a lower chord projecting downwardlybeyond the base-flanges of the rails, with feet on each side of thelower chord, and webs connecting the feet with the lower chord, thegreatest width of the feet being at the point where they join the webs,each foot being tapered from the web to a line Where the lower chordjoins the upper chord, substantially as described.

3. A joint-plate for railway-rails having an upper chord arranged to besecured to the webs of the rails, a lower chord projecting downwardlybeyond the base-flanges of the rails, feet at each end of the plate, andwebs connecting the feet with the lower chord, the feet being greater inwidth at the webs than at the ends of the plate, said feet being slottedfor the reception of spikes, substantially as described.

' 4. A joint-plate for railway-rails having an upper chord arranged tobe secured to the webs of the rails, a lower chord projecting downwardlybeyond the base-flanges of the rails, feet at each end of the plate, andwebs connecting the feet with the lower chord, the

feet being greater in width at the webs than 1 at the ends of the plate,each foothaving a spike-hole in the wide part and a slot in the narrowpart, substantially as described.

5. The combination of abutting rails, jointplates each having upper andlower chords,

one arranged on one side of the rails and the other on the opposite sideof the rails, the lower chords having inclined flanges at each end andeach plate having feet at each end,

said feet being greater in width where the Web In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ADOLPHUS BoNzANo.

Witnesses:

WILL. A. BARR, J os. H. KLEIN.

